Master in Data Science for Sustainability

Master in Data Science for Sustainability is one of 15 English-taught Data Science programmes at master’s level in the register, offered by 13 institutions. 12 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from EUR 727 to EUR 1,453. 8 are at a public university, where EU, EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters.

Modul University Vienna runs this MSc in Data Science for Sustainability as a two year, 120 ECTS master's taught in English. It is a private university in Vienna, and the programme takes a maximum of 30 students per intake. The pitch is narrow and clear: data science methods applied to environmental and social problems, not a general data science degree with a green module bolted on.

What you study

The first semester builds the base: Foundations of Data Science, Information Visualization, Computational Modeling of Social Systems, and Research Design and Methods in Practice, plus two enrichment courses. Semester two moves into Information Search and Retrieval, Machine Learning I, and Principles of Sustainability and Economic Development, and you take the Sustainability Analytics Project, where you work on a real challenge for an industry or government partner.

The third semester adds Machine Learning II, Econometric Methods and Applications, and Measuring and Assessing Sustainability, alongside the Master Thesis Seminar and two more enrichment courses. The fourth semester is given over to the Master Thesis, the Master Thesis Defense, and Modeling Sustainability Systems.

Enrichment courses let you build a specialisation. The page names three: Innovation and Experience Design for Tourism, Sustainable Management and Policy, and Digital Marketing.

How the programme is organised

Four semesters, 120 ECTS, with the thesis credited in the final semester. Teaching mixes foundational data science courses, research design and critical thinking, and applied work. The Sustainability Analytics Project is the practical spine of the first year. You can also fit a customised internship into the curriculum through the Industry Excellence Program, which pairs selected MSc students with senior managers from Austrian and international companies over two semesters of mentoring.

The department lists its lecturers on the programme page, among them full professors, associate professors and senior lecturers working across data science, economics and sustainability.

Who it suits

Recent graduates and professionals changing direction who want data skills tied to sustainability rather than to marketing or finance alone. The page says suitable bachelor's preparation includes biology, business informatics, environmental sciences, geography, sustainability (all with a quantitative focus), computer science, data science, econometrics, physics, software engineering and statistics, at least three years long, with demonstrated aptitude for research. If your background has gaps, the university may set prerequisite courses; you get the materials, sit an exam before the semester starts (it can be taken online), and if you do not pass, the courses are added to your curriculum for an extra fee.

The programme is also presented as preparation for PhD study, with research skills and a grounding in sustainability policy.

Admission, language and next steps

Teaching is in English, and applicants must show English at C1 on the CEFR, through a test taken in the last two years. Accepted proofs include TOEFL 95 iBT (570 paper, 230 computer), IELTS overall 7.0 with no sub-score below 6.5, Pearson Academic 76, and Cambridge BEC Higher Grade A or Cambridge Advanced from Grade C with at least 180 points. Native speakers, or those who did a full bachelor's of at least three years in English with proof of the medium of instruction, may be exempt.

You apply through the university's own application portal, not a central Austrian portal, and submit documents in English as PDFs: CV, a one page letter of motivation, bachelor's degree and transcripts, passport copy, passport photo, and two academic letters of recommendation. If your diploma is not ready, you can submit current transcripts and may receive provisional admission. As a private university, Modul sets its own tuition; the programme page states a fee per semester, shown in the fee section of this listing.

This Data Science and Sustainability programme specifically focuses on sustainability, making it one of the few in central Europe that prepares graduates to tackle ecological, economic, and societal challenges through data analysis. This program will empower you with the skills to analyze complex datasets, develop innovative solutions, and drive meaningful change across these dimensions.

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here Modul University Vienna. Private institutions set their own application periods, admission procedures and fees, so read them on the programme page. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, the student residence permit and housing.